SPORTS

The Tennis Crew makes it 40 years of camaraderie

Jake Furr Telegraph-Forum
  • New players welcome on Thursdays and Sundays
  • 40 years of throwing “raspberries”
  • Ugliest shot contest usually brings on some laughs
  • Group pays homage to Sam Sabbach when on the court

BUCYRUS – They say that the key to a long life is keep a young soul.

Ed McCarthy and his tennis crew are doing just that.

Floyd Farmer returns the volley Thursday afternoon at the Bucyrus Community Tennis Courts. The Tennis Crew have been playing twice a week at Bucyrus Community Tennis Courts for 40 years.

Five men showed up at the Bucyrus Community Tennis Courts on Thursday evening, just the same as they have done for 40 years now. McCarthy, 71; Gene Shields, 80; Floyd Farmer, 73; Allan Clady, 76; and Charlie Clady, 66 worked up a sweat and blamed a few body parts as they did what friends do, play tennis.

“We keep it going for the camaraderie,” McCarthy said. “Floyd and I started in the Junior Chambers of Commerce and have been playing together ever since.”

It may not be the prettiest of things, but these guys had a blast playing the game that they love with their best friends. They are not afraid to throw a “raspberry”, as McCarthy called it, when one of them messes up.

“My granddaughter was staying with me one day and I looked at her and asked her if she wanted to go throw some raspberries at the guys on the tennis courts. She looked at me with big eyes as if to say ‘We have raspberries?!’ When we got here we started taking jabs at the guys,” McCarthy said.

All is in good fun however as the tennis crew maintains that they never use foul language, but they are not afraid to throw a few gestures to their opponents when they make one of them look foolish.

The tennis crew never took any lessons and they hardly ever hold the racket the correct way or swing at the ball in a graceful manner, and that is just the way they like it. There is even a competition to see who had the ugliest swing.

Allen Clady returns the volley Thursday afternoon at the Bucyrus Community Tennis Courts. The Tennis Crew have been playing twice a week at Bucyrus Community Tennis Courts for 40 years.

“My shot almost looks like a left handed wounded buzzard shot,” McCarthy said. “Maybe that is why I win most of the time.”

McCarthy claims that one of the reasons he keeps up this twice a week tradition is to pay homage to a man he calls “Mr. Tennis.”

“Sam Sabbach did so much for all of Crawford County in the form of tennis,” McCarthy said. “He taught hundreds of young men over the years including my son, Greg, who went undefeated in the NOL in 1986. He is in his 80’s now and I do not think I ever heard him yell at a kid. He played up until about four years ago.”

The crew usually plays couples matches because they feel that they are at the age where they deserve to play that way. But, it is not all about competition.

“We figured that this is a good way to not get fat. It beat golf because we can come out here, play for an hour or so and get our exercise. Plus, it gets us out of the house,” McCarthy said.

It would not have been a successful trip without catching a few “raspberries” along the way. As Charlie Clady ran down a ball and scored a point, he reached for his lower back.

“He will claim that he is hurt, but he will be all over this court chasing balls down the rest of the day,” McCarthy said.

Floyd Farmer and Allen Clady discuss the next team matchup Thursday afternoon at the Bucyrus Community Tennis Courts. The Tennis Crew have been playing twice a week at Bucyrus Community Tennis Courts for 40 years.

“You cannot believe everything Ed says,” Shields said as he stepped on to the court for a warm up session.

There were a few guys missing from their usual crew. But the regulars are not shy about adding more people into the mix.

“We want to make this grow. Anyone is more than welcome to come out and join us,” McCarthy said.

The tennis crew plays at 5 p.m. every Thursday and Sunday at the Bucyrus Community Tennis Courts during the spring, summer and fall. During the winter, they play at 11 a.m. Friday the Racket Club in Lexington.